Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-07
FOOTLIGHT AND FOYER.
he Drum Majors Daughter by the
Carleton Opera COmpany---The
liver Sisters Tonight.

Carleton Opera COmpany---Ihe
Hyer sisters Tonight.
THE OPERA.
Twenty degrees below zero is sufficient>
ly cold weather 10 keep most people
around the family fireside. However
the Carleton opera company which ap-
peared at Harper's theatre last evening in
Offenbach's charming opera, The Drum
Majors Daughter" was greeted by a
large and representative audience. Rock
Islands wealth and beauty were out in
force. Seldom have we seen a more
brilliant audience. As each person
entered the auditorium very attractive
souvenir program in commemoration of
the event. it also being the one hun
dredth performance in the house,
and exactly one year under It's
present management, was presented. A
little before O'Clock, the musicians took
their places in the orchestra, and shortly
a fter d, under the baton of Prof. Alex
Haig, the curtain rolled up. disclosing
some twenty young and very pretty
chorus girls in bewitching concert cos
tunes. The opening chorus was well
sung Miss Ray Saumels, the prima
donna of the evening. was cordially
greeted on her first entrance. She is
young, pretty, and besides being good
singer. is quite clever actress. The
story of the opera has already been told
in these columns As an opera,
dramatically speaking. tits success, but
with little exception, the music Is not the
most pleasing. 1t cannot be placed on
the same scale with comic opera; iii half
way between comic and grand opera.
The chorus are strong. and some of the
solo numbers were catching" Es-
pecially pleasing to the audience was
the lullaby from the opera, ''Ermine, "
sung by Miss Ray Samuels. 1t was re-
peatedly encored. Mr.. Carleton, in the
role of Captain Roberts," sung his
numbers with good effect. He has a
fine baritone and uses it with good
Judgment; for his acting we feel cons
PEELED to say it was not up TO the mark
He delivers his lines with such tumble
that il is at times almost impossible TO
understand word. The most clever
piece of work during the evening was
done by Mr.. Joseph Greenfielder, as
"Monthabor," and Miss Fanny Rice
as ''Griolet' The former is 6
thorough actor and good singer
while the latter made a piquant and
graceful little drummer. One of the
choicest gems of the opera was the due
Il Love Thee Alone, which was beauti-
fully rendered by Mr.. Carleton and Miss
Samules. The costumes were simply
magnificent, while the chorus and prin
ciples showed careful and thorough stage
training. The orchestral score was also
cxcellently rendered. While the opera i;
said to be one of the best on the earle
ton repertoire, it was disappointment tc
the audience of last evening, 1t ha'
many good features, but on the whole is
rather dry. Mr.. Carleton did not dis
criminate wisely when he gave ''Nanon
to Davenport and the Drum Major
Daughter" to Rock Island. Comic oper'
takes much better in Rock Island and
is to be hoped, if Mr.. Carleton come
this way again, he will not allow outsid
managers to dictate as to the piece to b
put on N this city. The local manage
is better Judge the tastes of his patrons
MORE MUSIC TONIGHT
There are certain professionals VIII
( travel through the west that are Away
favorites and invariably draw full house
i among this number may be mentione
e the Hyer Sisters, who with strong sur
port including the Silver toned tenor
! Wallace King. and the prince of colore
comedians Sam Lucas, under the manage
ment of Mr.. L. K. Donavin. VIII
appears at Hsrper's theatre thi
) evening in their new musiCa
drama, "Out of Bondage" During tn
= action of the play the artists of the com
= pany introduce the famous musical selec
tons, which have become so popular
years past. They will doubtless have
very good audience.